A successful drug development process often follows a course that begins with research and development, continues with the satisfactory completion of clinical trials, and concludes with the development of a commercially viable drug product. However, a commercially viable drug product typically represents only one embodiment of the many potential drug products that may result from the pharmaceutical molecule underlying the drug product. The usefulness of a pharmaceutical molecule, both in terms of its therapeutic applications and potential for commercial benefit, is not limited to a single embodiment of the drug product. Under the right set of circumstances, the value of the drug product may be expanded through reformulation, in which a drug may be administered in different ways, such as through a different delivery mechanism, or through repositioning, in which novel uses are found for an existing drug, such as the application of the drug product to different therapeutic areas.
Existing software tools are focused on the current applications of a pharmaceutical molecule not on the potential future uses of existing pharmaceutical molecules. Further, the existing software tools represent a haphazard collection of ways to collect data, and lack a unifying framework with which to evaluate the potential ways in which pharmaceutical molecules can be reformulated or repositioned to achieve additional benefit. Additionally, existing software tools largely rely on specialized information, utilizing substantial resources during the (often times manual) data acquisition phase, and often requiring expert knowledge to analyze, organize, and interpret any information that was acquired. Given the rapid pace of drug development and the often short time frame within which the commercial potential of a pharmaceutical molecule may be realized, it is imperative that there be a way to rapidly and efficiently assess potential future uses of a pharmaceutical molecule.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved software technology that is able to determine and provide opportunities for reformulation and repositioning of a pharmaceutical molecule in a way that enhances both the therapeutic and commercial applications that can be realized from pharmaceutical molecule data. Further, there is a need for improved software technology that is able to provide reformulation opportunities and repositioning strategies in an easily navigable manner that facilitates the decision-making process with respect to a pharmaceutical molecule.